Exmoor

We think the beauty and peace of Exmoor is unsurpassed, and Little Comfort Farm is a great base from which to explore the diversity of this unspoiled National Park. Covering 267 square miles and bordered to the North by coastline; the rolling countryside, quaint moorland villages and dramatic wooded cliffs offer so much for the visitor to enjoy whether you decide to do it by car, bike or on foot.

Criss-crossed by streams and rivers with deep wooded combes (valleys) and open stretches of moorland, Exmoor has an abundance of wildlife to be enjoyed – some of which is unique to the area. The famous Exmoor ponies graze on the commons and there are large numbers of wild red deer, which are more secretive, but can be seen with patience. In the late autumn during the rut, the stags can be heard roaring in the wooded valleys – a very eerie and distinctive noise. The relatively fast flowing brooks and streams support a wide variety of plants and animals, including otters, kingfishers, goosanders, salmon and trout.
With hundreds of miles of footpaths and bridleways, numerous scheduled monuments and 16 conservation areas you’ll never run out of places to explore and enjoy.

Or take time to wander around some of Exmoor’s delightful villages & towns, Lynton & Lynmouth on the coast with its iconic cliff railway funicular or the quiet and quaint Porlock with adjacent salt marsh nature reserve and a harbour at nearby Porlock Weir. Watchet is a historic harbour town with a marina and is home to a carnival held annually in July.

Inland you can visit the ancient clapper bridge at Tarr Steps and the Snowdrop Valley near Wheddon Cross, which is carpeted in snowdrops in February; Withypool, in the Barle Valley and Dunster which is lovely with its castle, priory, ancient dovecote & packhorse bridge not to mention the wonderful craft shops.

Exmoor National Park was designated the first International Dark Sky Reserve in Europe. The Campaign for Dark Skies carried out an analysis of the best places in the UK for stargazing, factoring in both light pollution and cloud cover. That analysis showed that the Exmoor National Park area was the best place for stargazing in the UK, once those two factors were combined. That said the potential for stargazing at Little Comfort Farm is excellent too!